Michigan

Allegan County loom-makers are two of a kind

Photos by Jennifer Ackerman-Haywood | The Grand Rapids PressAnn Niemi, a professional therapist, weaves to recharge her batteries and relieve stress.

ALLEGAN COUNTY -- In a wood shop between a small pond and a private landing strip, Bruce Niemi transforms boards of red oak into weaving looms sturdy enough to withstand even the most aggressive weavers.

Niemi, 56, has been reporting for work in his shop a stone's throw from his Valley Township home since purchasing the Kessenich Loom Co. in 1993.

"I like looms," he said, explaining his affinity for these "wooden machines" that have intrigued him since he first saw the loom his grandfather made for his grandmother out of old furniture and car parts.

Niemi had inherited the makeshift loom his grandfather made by the time he met his wife, Ann, a woman who had a budding interest in weaving.

Ann, 55, bought her first loom, a Cranbrook, in 1980 and wove scarves and blankets.

"I always wanted a loom," she said. "We had to rebuild the house so I could have a loom."

Looking for joy

More than a decade later, Bruce Niemi left his job as a photo engraver to make floor and tabletop looms full-time.

"I was looking for something to get into that would entertain me and give me joy and that I could do totally by myself," Bruce Niemi explained.

Henry Kessenich started the loom company in Wisconsin in the 1940s. First, he built a loom for his wife, Lorraine. Friends liked it and began making requests. Soon Kessenich was in business.

"The loom's reputation was built on it being strong enough to make rag rugs," explains Ann Niemi, the weaver who has helped her husband refine the loom design over the years.

The Kessenich is the only Michigan-made floor loom still in production.

While Bruce Niemi is building looms, Ann works as a therapist.

She weaves to relax after a stressful day of work.

"What I do is try to help people all of the time," Ann Niemi said. "When I come home and I weave, I have something tangible to show for my energy."

"(It's) a huge balance for giving me something back, replenishing that soul," she said. "I've also found when I have losses, to weave something relieves some of the loss. I encourage people to find someplace where they can find energy and get something back in themselves."

Weave to heal

Listening to Niemi talk about why she weaves sent me back more than a decade to the days when throwing a shuttle wound with chenille was the way I coped with writing about fires, fatal car crashes and child abuse cases as a rookie police reporter. I was absorbing a lot of bad news back then and wove my way through it creating abundant scarves and blankets in the process. Weaving is healing.

The couple raised two sons and now focus on spreading their love of weaving and handcrafted looms.

"My looms are all in the living room, so I have the option to go and weave for a while whenever I have a chance," Ann Niemi said.

"I thought (the living room) was big enough for two bowling alleys and she filled it up with looms," Bruce Niemi said, laughing about the happy space that has become a working studio/showroom.

My husband can relate. We moved to a larger home five years ago after my loom collection -- including one Kessenich -- started to crowd us out in the old house. (If you're just getting into fiber art, be aware that looms and spinning wheels reproduce. It's the strangest thing.)

Thriving today

Built like tanks, Kessenich looms are known for their sturdy construction and bulk. Table looms start at $550 and floor looms go up to $4,000. All of them are completed with a hand-rubbed oil finish.

The business has survived the tough economy and continues to attract interest from weavers scattered throughout the United States. One of the best parts is meeting people from all over the country.

"Weavers are really nice people," Ann Niemi said.

Bruce Niemi has found loom-building so fulfilling he suspended work on the open cockpit biplane he had invested 1,500 hours building.

As a loom builder, Niemi says, "I get my fix all day long. I no longer need the airplane to make me happy building something because I'm building all day."